Author Topic: Night weaning 16mo (Read 4383 times)

*Ali* · « **on:** May 10, 2016, 20:51:44 pm »

My DH is out of town on business and I'm taking the opportunity to wean the NFs that have crept back in without worrying about disturbing him.

DD has had various periods of sttn for 10-12hrs but then wants a BF when she does wake. She's been teething and we went camping and it threw her off so she's now waking 2-3x a night for a quick feed. Due to problems with our house move being delayed she's still in our room in her own cot bed. She normally wakes when we go to bed around 11-midnight then again at 4 or 5ish. Sometimes it's more like 10, 2 and 6 then back to sleep until 7 or a touch later.

She does often fall asleep on the boob at BT but if she doesn't she goes down independently without a peep, same for her nap. When I'm not there she is an IS for DH, my mum and my sister. If she does wake mid-nap or 45 mins after BT (if OT) then I just go in and tell her it's sleepy time and I lay her back down. She goes back to sleep pretty easily if I sit outside the closed bedroom door and shush her if she cries at all. I'm hoping to use a similar tactic for NWs from tonight except I'll be shushing from my bed in the room.

I've told her mummy's boobs need to sleep at night so she can only have water at night after the BT BF. She said ok but I'm not sure how well she understood of course. Her verbal skills are good for her age. She's just started speaking in 3-word plus sentences.

I'd love for DH to come home after 2 nights and she be sttn or resettling easily without a BF but I'm probably being optimistic there!

I did similar with DS1 and 2 at 12 and 15mo respectively and it took about a week I think.

Anyway, wish me luck

Sarah - Enfys' Mum · « **Reply #1 on:** May 10, 2016, 21:25:56 pm »

Good luck!

MasynSpencerElliotte · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2016, 05:35:40 am »

Good luck!

jessmum46 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2016, 07:03:52 am »

Good luck Ali! How did last night go?

*Ali* · « **Reply #4 on:** May 11, 2016, 09:54:05 am »

Not bad actually.
8pm asleep for BT after her BF
11.15pm - 2 minutes
12.25am - 12 mins
12.50am - 7 mins
1.10am - 2 minutes
5am -15 mins and she drank about 3oz of water from her straw sippy.
6.30 am BF and start the day.

I didn't try to resettle at the 6.30 as I didn't want to stress her for 30 mins and we needed to be up early anyway

So all in all not as bad as I was expecting ☺

Thanks for your support and FX for another easy night.

jessmum46 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2016, 11:24:20 am »

Good work

weaver · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2016, 11:31:12 am »

Good luck!

Buntybear · « **Reply #7 on:** May 11, 2016, 17:18:00 pm »

Good luck - hope it continues to go well

*Ali* · « **Reply #8 on:** May 12, 2016, 19:48:06 pm »

Last night was super. She slept 7.30pm-6.07am with just 1 NW at 2ish for a couple of minutes. I did tell her to go back to sleep after a drink of water in the morning but after 30 mins of chatting to herself happily in the cot she announced the need to poo so we got up to use the potty and it was 6.45 by the time she was done. I know she was tired as I'd capped her nap to go out the day before. She didn't seem hungry and didn't ask for boob until after using the potty. And even then she didn't empty the second side and left me somewhat full.

DH is back tonight and I've told him Isla has a surprise for him. He'll be so pleased 😆

weaver · « **Reply #9 on:** May 12, 2016, 20:01:03 pm »

Well done Isla

jessmum46 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 13, 2016, 07:30:32 am »

That's great! Well done x

Martini~ · « **Reply #11 on:** May 13, 2016, 07:43:21 am »

how it went today Ali:)?

*Ali* · « **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2016, 20:52:39 pm »

Last night was fab. She sttn until 6.17am with no NWs. Still a bit early but I'm hoping the later mornings will come.

Buntybear · « **Reply #13 on:** May 13, 2016, 21:06:06 pm »

Great update

Scottishmummy · « **Reply #14 on:** May 14, 2016, 10:57:22 am »

Wow, amazing! Good job!
She just dropped all the feeds cold turkey? Gives me hope we might get a STTN one day (although my DD is a good bit younger so maybe a while to go yet!)

*Ali* · « **Reply #15 on:** May 14, 2016, 11:40:41 am »

Yes we just went cold turkey. As you say she is a lot older than your DD. No way I would have done it that way under a year. She was definitely just having a few sucks to help her settle back to sleep. She isn't any hungrier in the mornings now than she was when she'd had 3 NFs.

Last night wasn't as good. She did sstn but only 7.45-5.45 and then she couldn't get back to sleep. I tried until 6.30 but if she wasn't crying she was tossing and turning so I just started the day.

I seem to remember when I night weaned DS2 he took a good few weeks if not a month to sleep later in the morning so I'll just wait it out.

Thanks for your support.

*Ali* · « **Reply #16 on:** May 19, 2016, 22:14:29 pm »

Hi, I just thought I'd update that nights 4 and 5 had some more EWs but we seem to be doing better now for the last 4 nights. She's mostly sleeping 7.30 or 8pm until 6.30 or 6.50am. Still a tad earlier than before but I'm hoping we get back to after 7am soon. She still has a 2-2.5hr nap most days as well so that's probably 13hrs sleep which seems enough for her. It's lovely not to have NWs. I sometimes hear her stir but she just settles herself, usually without crying out at all. 😆

jessmum46 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 20, 2016, 18:40:20 pm »

Well done to you both

Palmira78 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 12, 2016, 12:00:25 pm »

Ali. How are you doing? I would really like to follow your steps with my DS2 since it worked so well for you. It also did for us with my DS1, when he was 18 months.
In total how many "difficult" nights you had to get the message across to your baby that no milk was coming? what steps did you take to put her back to sleep?
My DS2 is only 9 months but 2 pediatricians told me that he was biologically ready to stop nursing through the night... and I would like to wean him cold turkey as you did (since gradually is not working).

*Ali* · « **Reply #19 on:** September 12, 2016, 20:18:16 pm »

Hi nluno, It was really just the first 2 nights we had NWs that I needed to resettle. She sttn from night 3 but was getting up earlier around 6am rather than her usual 7am. She's mostly STTN since then for the last 6 months and is back to a 7am or later start to the day. If she does wake in the night (no more than twice a month) I usually just have to say once that it's still sleepy time and to go back to sleep and she does. Occasionally she asks for her water if she can't find it (I leave a straw sippy open in her bed) or it needs topping up.

There was one night a couple of months ago when she fell asleep in the car driving home from a day out and I just put her into bed without dinner or her BT BF and she slept until 3am. I knew she was genuinely hungry so I explained that she could have her BT BF then (of course she had no idea of the time). She never woke asking for boob again as a result. I think there was one other night that she had a virus and wouldn't settle around midnight so I BFed her just that once. Again, it luckily didn't result in her asking for a feed any other night.

When training her those first two nights back in May I just used my voice to shush her and remind her "It's sleepy time. Mummy's boobs are sleeping. Lie down and go back to sleep please." I think it was so easy because she was ready and was able to understand exactly what I was saying to her. As I said above, I personally would not use this method much under 1yo because they can't understand as well and also their tummies are so little. Plus they are getting less solid food so it is to be expected that they will need to feed at night if they wake asking for it. I'd expect significantly more upset and more nights of NWs from a younger baby.

Palmira78 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 13, 2016, 06:46:18 am »

Thanks a lot Ali, for your advice. I have found it very useful.
After reading your post I am having second thoughts thinking if this is the right time to eliminate the night feedings... I listen to so many people saying that such an old baby (9months) should not eat during the night that I somewhat feel that I am delaying my son's progress. The pediatricians opinions are also important to me. Furthermore, I am quite exhausted since I am getting an average of 4 NW lately. (I will not bore you with the details since I already placed that information in the NW forum).
I would like to be respectful with my baby's needs but I cannot be a good mother if I am not feeling well. One of the problems is that since the beginning of September my son has started going from 8 AM to 3:30 PM to a kindergarten, so I cannot influence the timing and length of his naps or even the amount of food that he takes.
Anyway, I hope that your toddler continues sleeping so well and I wish that I can join your sleeping club soon :-).

*Ali* · « **Reply #21 on:** September 13, 2016, 09:54:26 am »

I think you are right to wait.

Fwiw the WHO recommends feeding as much as baby wants day and night until 2yo. They wouldn't recommend that if it in any way delayed a baby's progress.

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Author Topic: Night weaning 16mo (Read 4383 times)